Comfort + Convenience = More Women Biking

• Jennifer Dill, Portland State University o Quick overview of the gender gap in cycling o Why is there a gap?

Using data from Portland and elsewhere, explain how comfort and convenience are important to women and girls and how new facilities might change that

Gender gap in the US: Bicycling vs. Walking

0.8%

9.5% 16.7%

67.8%

2.4%

15.7% 15.8%

68.3%

Females

Males

on the travel day

in the past week

on the travel day

in the past week

Made a walk trip… Made a bike trip…

Source: 2009 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS)

Women who do ride, bicycle for recreation, not commuting

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Women Men

18-25 26-45 46-65 66+ 18-25 26-45 46-65 66+

Work

Shopping

Social/Rec

Women Men

Source: 2009 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS)

Gender Gap: It’s not everywhere

25% 27%

30%

49%

55% 56%

USA UK Canada Germany Denmark Netherlands

Perc

ent

of b

ike

trip

s by

wom

en

Source: Pucher and Buehler (eds.) City Cycling. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2012

Copenhagen

Amsterdam

Berlin Vancouver

Montreal Toronto Portland

Minneapolis Chicago San Francisco

Melbourne

Sydney

Tokyo

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Perc

ent

of b

icyc

lists

who

are

fem

ale

Percent of trips by bicycle

Washington

City Level: Correlation between cycling & share of bicyclists who are women

Source: Garard, Handy, and Dill, “Women and Cycling,” in Pucher and Buehler (eds.), City Cycling. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2012

Why is there a gender gap?

… in the U.S.

Several surveys indicate that men have more positive attitudes about cycling than women.

… but why? I will try to answer using… Random phone survey of ~900 adults in the Portland, OR region

Family Activity Study with ~300 families in Portland Intercept surveys of cyclists on new facilities in DC & San Francisco

Comfort: Concerns about safety

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

feel comfortable riding after

dark*

know how to ride a bike safely in traffic*

concerned about being

hit by a motor

vehicle*

concerned about falling off by bike*

feel comfortable riding when it is raining

concerned about being

stranded

concerned about being bitten by a

dog

concerned about having my bicycle

stolen

concerned about being

hit by another bicyclist

% S

tron

gly

Agr

eein

g

Women

Men

* sig. difference p<0.05

Source: Portland regional phone survey, 2011 (Dill)

Convenience

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

I know where safe bike routes are in my

neighborhood

Biking can sometimes be easier for me than driving

I don't have time to bike places instead

of driving

Many of the places I need to get to

regularly are within biking distance of

home

For me to ride a bike for daily travel from home would be easy

% s

tron

gly

agre

eing

Women Men

* sig. difference p<0.05

Source: Portland regional phone survey, 2011 (Dill)

Comfort and Social Support

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Biking for transptn requires different

clothes than normal

I don't like wearing a helmet

People impt to me would

support me biking more

Many of my co-workers bike to

work

Many of my friends bike to

get places

People I live with bike

to…errands, shop…

People impt to me think I should bike

more

% s

tron

gly

agre

eing

Women Men

* sig. difference p<0.05

Source: Portland regional phone survey, 2011 (Dill)

Differences start in childhood Barriers to bicycling among 11-16 year olds

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

Cold weather

Rain No one to bike with

It takes too long

I am afraid of getting

hurt

I don’t want to

get sweaty

Not fun, don’t feel

like it

I don’t like

wearing my

helmet

I can’t ride my

bike well

My parents don’t

want me to bike

I don’t want

other kids to see me

biking

Mea

n Sc

ore,

1-5

Boys (11-16)

Girls (11-16)

* sig. difference p<0.05

Source: Family Activity Study, Portland 2012-13 (Dill)

1=This does not at all keep me from biking 5=This really keeps me from biking

Possible solutions: Infrastructure

• Women are more concerned about safety, particularly from traffic

Bicycle Boulevards (aka Neighborhood Greenways)

Bike path

Cycle track (aka separated lane)

Bike lane

Level of Comfort on Facilities

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

A path or trail separate from the

street

A quiet, residential street

with traffic speeds of 20-25 miles per hour

and traffic calming (bicycle

boulevard)

A quiet, residential street

with traffic speeds of 20-25 miles per hour

Cycle track on a major 4-lane

urban/suburban street, on-street parking, 30-35 miles per hour

Cycle track on a major 4-lane street with a

center divider, on-street parking, 35-40 miles per

hour

Bike lane on a two-lane

neighborhood commercial

shopping street, on-street parking,

25-30 mph

Bike lane on a major 4-lane

urban/suburban street, on-street parking, 30-35 miles per hour

Bike lane on a major 4-lane street with a

center divider, on-street parking, 35-40 miles per

hour

A two-lane neighborhood commercial

shopping street, on-street parking,

25-30 mph, no bike lane

Major 4-lane urban/suburban street, on-street parking, 30-35 miles per hour,

no bike lane

Major 4-lane street with a

center divider, on-street parking, 35-40 miles per

hour, no bike lane

Respondents' Level of Comfort Bicycling on Different Facility Types Level of Comfort (1-4 scale,, 4=Very Comfortable)

Female

Male Path Bike

Boulevard* Quiet res.

street

Cycletracks

Bike Lanes

No bike facilities

Source: Portland regional phone survey, 2011 (Dill)

Level of Comfort on Facilities

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

A path or trail separate from the

street

A quiet, residential street

with traffic speeds of 20-25 miles per hour

and traffic calming (bicycle

boulevard)

A quiet, residential street

with traffic speeds of 20-25 miles per hour

Cycle track on a major 4-lane

urban/suburban street, on-street parking, 30-35 miles per hour

Cycle track on a major 4-lane street with a

center divider, on-street parking, 35-40 miles per

hour

Bike lane on a two-lane

neighborhood commercial

shopping street, on-street parking,

25-30 mph

Bike lane on a major 4-lane

urban/suburban street, on-street parking, 30-35 miles per hour

Bike lane on a major 4-lane street with a

center divider, on-street parking, 35-40 miles per

hour

A two-lane neighborhood commercial

shopping street, on-street parking,

25-30 mph, no bike lane

Major 4-lane urban/suburban street, on-street parking, 30-35 miles per hour,

no bike lane

Major 4-lane street with a

center divider, on-street parking, 35-40 miles per

hour, no bike lane

Respondents' Level of Comfort Bicycling on Different Facility Types Level of Comfort (1-4 scale,, 4=Very Comfortable)

Female

Male

Path Bike Boulevard*

Quiet res. street

Cycletracks

Bike Lanes

No bike facilities

Source: Portland regional phone survey, 2011 (Dill)

All significantly different except

bicycle boulevard

Comfort on facilities among 11-16 year olds

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

On a street with heavy traffic and

no bike lane*

On a street with heavy traffic with a bike lane*

On a street with little traffic and

no bike lane*

On a street with little

traffic with a bike lane*

On a path or trail

separate from the

street

On a street with heavy traffic and

no bike lane

On a street with heavy traffic with a bike lane

On a street with little traffic and

no bike lane

On a street with little

traffic with a bike lane

On a path or trail

separate from the

street

Mea

n Co

mfo

rt L

evel

,

1=V

ery

unco

mfo

rtab

le,

4=V

ery

com

fort

able

Boys

Girls

Alone With Parents

* sig. difference p<0.05

Source: Family Activity Study, Portland 2012-13 (Dill)

Could cycle tracks increase women’s cycling? • 6-city Green Lane evaluation underway • Intercept surveys of bicyclists on cycle tracks • Because of the [street] cycle track...how often I ride a

bicycle overall has increased o Washington DC L Street

Women: 39% Men: 26% o San Francisco Oak Street (preliminary numbers)

Women: 29% Men: 17% o San Francisco Fell Street (preliminary numbers)

Women: 29% Men: 20%